burning up inside
by procol harum
Summary: “See Bobby, that's what I can do. That, and so much more.” -- Bobby smiled. “So cool,” he whispered. Maybe he had found a friend after all.


burn.  
bobby and john. -- kind of like: 'how john and bobby met/how john got that lighter he has in x2...

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

The first time Bobby met John he had been fourteen. He'd been enjoying the solitary comfort that came with having no roommate and had been slightly annoyed when Ms. Grey had told him about the new boy: _John Allerdyce_. John was the same age as Bobby, and there were no other available rooms besides Jubilee's – and the school rules forbid co-ed rooming. There could be two females rooming across the hall from two males, sure; they just couldn't swap one of the female roommates for a male roommate. Bobby understood. He was a nice guy and thought that having a roommate meant having a friend. John, however, seemed to be on an entirely different page. He entered the room noisily, the door slamming shut behind him. Scott entered seconds after, not looking all that pleased with the boy's rage.

John looked at Bobby. Glared hard. Then turned and flopped down onto his bed. The single backpack he'd been carrying was tossed onto the floor and then he rolled onto his back, glaring up at the ceiling instead.

"Bobby, this is John. I hope he calms down soon. But don't worry too much, he's just upset that the professor took away his lighter."

"I told you I need it!" John yelled angrily. "I mean, what's Bobby here do?" John actually sat up and Bobby realized he expected an answer. He mumbled: "My, my power? Like what my powers are?"

"Yeah!" John shouted but it sounded more like curiosity than anger. Scott smiled. "Bobby, I hope I can trust you to help John out the first few days?"

"Yeah, of course." Bobby grinned widely. He was happy to be trusted with the responsibility of showing John around the school. Scott smiled, left. He shut the door in a much gentler fashion than John had minutes before.

"Well?" John asked. 'What can you do?"

"Wanna see?" Bobby asked eagerly but didn't wait for a response. He focused hard on his outstretched hand and smiled another one of those wide grins when ice shot from his fingertips and coated the wooden floor in a gleam of ice. "It's cool, right?" He looked to John for approval, still grinning.

"Yeah, Bobby. _Ice_ cool." Bobby laughed and John smirked.

"So, what do you do?" Bobby asked suddenly, curiosity clearly evident in his tone.

John scowled and pointed towards the sheet of ice. "If your professor let me keep my lighter, I could melt that."

"You melt stuff?" Bobby sounded a little disappointed and John laughed. "Kinda. I manipulate fire. Can't create, it though. That's why I need my lighter." This time, he focused his glare on the shut door.

"Well..." Bobby trailed off before getting up off of his bed. "My old roommate, Henry, he used to smoke a lot. But his parents took him out a couple weeks ago. Some idiots told them this was a brainwashing facility set up by the government. Army recruitment or something.."

"So what?" John bitterly replied, watching Bobby carefully as he went to open the drawer of his nightstand.

"He mighta left something useful behind is what," Bobby replied, pushing aside what looked like a sketchbook inside the drawer. He wrapped his fist tightly around something, covering it completely, and pulled his hand out. "You can't tell."

"Maybe I will," John replied. "What is it?"

Bobby shook his head. "Please. Promise you won't tell?" He was pleading now. John sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'm not a squealer, Bobby."

"Good." Bobby moved towards John's bed and sat down beside him. "Here. I found it in Henry's desk. But it still works." Bobby held his hand out to John and uncurled his fist. In it lay a silver zippo. A shark emblem was painted onto each side. He looked at Bobby, wondering if was a trick. A set-up by the professor, maybe? But Bobby seemed too damn sincere. "Take it. I don't need it." Bobby grinned. Again. "I create ice, remember?"

"Yeah, of course. Fire and ice and all that jazz?" John took the lighter, flipped it open. Watched in fascination as the flame danced for him. It grew bigger until his whole hand was engulfed in yellow and orange. The flame suddenly shot outwards and Bobby gasped beside him.

John grinned himself and nodded toward the puddle on their floor. "See Bobby,_ that's_ what I can do. That, and so much more."

Bobby smiled. "So_ cool_," he whispered. Maybe he had found a friend after all.


End file.
